Joseph zubaty



July 3, 1928. 1,675,628

J. ZUBATY ILLUMINATED INSTRUMENT PANEL Filed Feb. 28, 1927 jt atented .l nly' Ii" wane ltlEl ifl" t'lFFlCE.

JOSEPH ZUBA'IY, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGi-ILTUR TO A C SPARK PLUG COMPANY, OF

FLINT, MICHIGAN, it COMPANY 013' MICHIGAN.

ILL'UMINATED 1'1 STRUl /[El l'T .THANEL.

Application filed; February W8, 1927.

This invention relates to illuminating means for instrument panels. In my prior application Serial Number 7,058, tiled July 30, 1925, ll disclosed an arrangement in which the housings of the instruments are provided with windows exposed to rays or light from a bulb concealed at the rear or the panel. The light entering the housings strikes the dials at the rear of the cover as well as at the rear of the face plate it a taco plate is employed. The instruments are thus indirectly lighted and there is no glare.

While satista'ctory illumination may be se cured in this manner, I have tound that the projection of light upon the dials trom one direction only gives uneven lighting, producing bright patches and shadows which are disturbing to the eye. To overcome this dilliculty l have, in ellect, provided two sources of light each of which projects light upon the instrument dials, thus eliminating the objectionable shadows and giving, soitt, even illumination. Rather than employ two actual sources of light, I use a reflector in combination with a single source, the reflector being so designed as to project light into the instruiinent casing :lrom a ditlerent direction as it from another source.

In the d awings Figure 1 is a rear view oil? an instrument panel 01* the type used upon automobiles showing my invention applied thereto parts being broken away to show details 0t cons struction,

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig ure 1, and

Figure 3 a diagrannnatic View indicat ing the distril'iution of light upon the instrument dials.

l have indicated at 2 a portion of a conventional instrun'ient panel such as used upon automol'iiles. f iuch panels are commonly constructed of metal or wood and support the instruments in a convenient position for reading. At the right of the panel I have shown speedometer 4, at the cente an assembly consisting of a motor temperature indicator 6, a meter 8, oil gauge 10 and clock 12; at the left the switch assembly 14.. Obviously the arrangement may be varied as desired. The instrmnents are secured to the panel by clamps 16, carried by bolts 18, the headed ends of which are received in stamp ings welded or rivet-ed to the panel.

Between the speedometer and the center serial No. ltfl,602.

assembly I have mounted a reflector 22, ot the shape shown most clearly in Figure The reflector is apertured at 2 1- and provided with a clip 26 for receiving lamp socket .28 carrying bulb 30. The aperture 24: is of su'liicient size to permit withdrawal oi the bulb and socket from the rear of the instrument panel for inspection or replacement. The housing 32 of the speedometer l is provided with spaced arcuate apertures 3a and 36, covered with transparent material such as pyralin to admit light to the instrument dials, indicated at 38, preferably at the rear of face plate 40 as Well as at the rear oi the usual glass cover 42. The casing let which houses the center assembly is likewise provided with a window ll; through which light may pass to the dials.

l fith the described construction it is obvious that the light tailing upon the dials is in part direct rays from the bulb and in part reflect-ed rays as clearly shown in Figure 3. The reflected rays striking the speedometer dial come roughly as it from an apparent source located in the region w. if desired the reflector could be designed with mathematical accuracy so that there would be a theoretical point from which the reflected rays would appear to emanate. However, inasmuch as diffused light is preferred to a concentrated beam, the illustrated arrangement has been chosen.

it is apparent that my invention. is adapted to use in other places than upon automobile instrument panels and that various modifications are contemplated as indicated by the character of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination of .an instrument panel, an instrument mounted on the panel comprising a housing including a portion extending rearwardly oi. the panel, said last named portion being apertured at separated points to permit the passage of light into the housing for the illumination of the dial, a light source at the rear of the panel.arranged for the projection of light upon the dial thri'iugh one of said apertures and a reflector associated with said light source and arranged to project light into said housing through another or said apertures from a dill erentangle to produce even illuurination.

2. The combination of an instrument panel, an instrumilmt mounted on the panel and having indicating means, said instrument being provided With a casing having a Window therein for the display of the indicating means, and a' plurality of spaced Windows normally exposed at the rear of the panel for the projection of light from an outside source upon the indicating means, transparent covers for said Windows, a light source arranged at the rear of the panel in position to direct light through one of the said spaced Windows, a. reflector associated with the light source and arranged to project light through the other of said spaced Windows.

8. The combination of an instrument panel, an instrument mounted on the panel and having indicating means, said instrument being provided with a casing having Window therein for the display oithe indieating means, and a plurality of spaced windows normally exposed at the rear of the panel for the projection oi, light from an outside source upon the indicating means, transparent covers for said windows, a reiiector at the rear of the panel snugly lilting the casing adjacent said spaced windows. a light source mounted in the reflector, said reflectorand light source co-operating to direct light through said spaced windows from a number of dillorcni directions to give even illumination of the dial.

In testimony whereof I alhx my sigggnature.

JOSEPH ZUBAlY. 

